Ovalbumin: Proteins and Enzymes

Chicken Ovalbumin is the major protein in the "white" of the egg (and a favorite antigen in immunological research). Egg white contains a variety of proteins including ovalbumin, conalbumin, ovomucoid and lysozyme. It belongs to the serpin family and the Ov serpin subfamily. Ovalbumin can cause an allergic reaction in humans. Ovalbumin has been implicated in the development of the egg shell. Immunohistochemistry revealed that ovalbumin is found only in the mammillary bodies of decalcified shell, and is not distributed throughout the shell matrix. These results indicate that ovalbumin is present during the initial phase of shell formation and becomes incorporated into the protein matrix of the mammillary bodies. However, it is not yet clear whether ovalbumin at this site plays a specific role in shell mineralisation.